Classic Poem

I was a lady of high renown
As lived in the north countrie;
I was a lady of high renown
Whan Earl Douglas loved me.

Whan we came through Glasgow toun
We war a comely sight to see;
My gude lord in velvet green
And I mysel in cramasie.

Whan we cam to Douglas toun
We war a fine sight to behold;
My gude lord in cramasie
And I mysel in shining gold.

Whan that my auld son was born
And set upon the nurse's knee,
I was as happy a woman as e'er was born,
And my gude lord he loved me.

But oh, an my young son was born
And set upon the nurse's knee,
And I mysel war dead and gane,
For a maid again I'll never be.

There cam a man into this house
And Jamie Lockhart was his name;
And it was told to my gude lord
That I was in the bed wi' him.

There cam anither to this house
And a bad friend he was to me;
He put Jamie's shoon below my bed-stock,
And bade my gude lord come and see.

O wae be unto thee, Blackwood,
And ae an ill death may ye dee;
For ye was the first and the foremost man
That parted my gude lord and me.

Whan my gude lord cam in my room
This grit falsehood for to see,
He turn'd about and, wi' a gloom,
He straucht did tak farewell o' me.

O fare thee well, my once lovely maid,
O fare thee well, once dear to me;
O fare thee well, my once lovely maid,
For wi' me again ye sall never be.

Sit doun, sit doun, Jamie Douglas,
Sit thee doun and dine wi' me,
And I'll set thee on a chair of gold
And silver towel on thy knee.

Whan cockle-shells turn silver bells,
And mussels they bud on a tree,
Whan frost and snaw turns fire to burn,
Then I'll sit down and dine wi' thee.

O wae be unto thee, Blackwood,
And ae an ill death may ye dee;
Ye war the first and the foremost man
That parted my gude lord and me.

Whan my father he heard word
That my gude lord had forsaken me,
He sent fifty o' his brisk dragoons
To fesh me hame to my ain countrie.

That morning before I did go
My bonny palace for to leave,
I went into my gude lord's room,
But alas, he wad na speak to me.

Fare thee well, Jamie Douglas,
Fare thee well, my ever dear to me;
Fare thee well, Jamie Douglas,
Be kind to the three babes I've born to thee.